AUTHOR ∙ HISTORIAN ∙ STORYTELLER
Past events
Authors on Stage in Orangeville kicked off the 2024 series on September 26th with a discussion led by Diana Beresford-Kroeger. This insightful author shared stories of her Irish childhood, raised with an ancient Celtic tradition and her journey of curiosity as a multiple degreed scientist. Her life’s work focuses on the critical salvation offered by living trees and she advocates for every person to plant trees to save our world. She ignited a fire within me and I am devouring her books, To Speak for the Trees, and Our Green Heart. Check out more great talks coming to Orangeville, this fall.
Author Talks about Town
Ramsay Talks presented Tanya Talaga discussing her latest novel, The Knowing at Koerner Hall, Toronto, on September 23rd, 2024. The reading and discussion illuminating our understanding of colonization from an indigenous lens.
A beautiful summer day on August 25th, 2024, at Foley’s Barn in Mulmur, with three popular and well-read authors, inspiring a room of avid readers and inspiring writers. The Author in the Hills of Mulmur annual event thrilled to engage in conversation about their creative processes and their journeys to successful book launches. I added three new books to my collection: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner; Ruff by Rod Carley; and The Maid by Nita Prose. Three unique writing styles to explore and three more artists to follow as they market and promote their work.
SDG&A Book Fair July 21 2024 The Lost Villages Museum
Just as the title of my most recently published book, ‘After Clouds, Sunshine’ declares, blue skies and pleasant temperatures favoured The Lost Villages Museum on Sunday July 21st for the first annual Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry & Awekasane Book Fair, in Ingleside, Ontario. Sharing a tent with the Jim Brownell, President of the Museum, and his family, Jenn and Lenny, resulted in some lively conversations about the local history. Twenty-seven authors participated, displaying and discussing our written creations. The perfect summer day, enhanced by a backdrop of live entertainment and a picnic hosted by the incumbent Federal and Provincial politicians, brought an interesting and participatory crowd together.
The Museum preserves memories of seven villages and two hamlets inundated for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. Aultsville, one of those villages, traced its roots to the founding of Ontario and the birthplace of Grace Loucks, the protagonist in After Clouds, Sunshine; a perfect place to showcase her story. My display included numerous artifacts from the Loucks family.
Brampton Library Showcase of Local Authors 2024-25
Forecasted thundershowers held off last June 22nd’s launch of Brampton Showcase of Local Authors. The library promotes the participants for the entire year by adding the books to their collection and building social media buzz for the many local authors.
As one of those, I’m proud to be included in Brampton LIbrary’s Local Authors Showcase 2024-25. You can borrow my book with your library card (get a Brampton Library card here) and explore this year’s showcase for more great titles by authors living in Peel Region. Read local!
OGS - Ontario Genealogical Society June 2024
Hundreds of avid family historians gathered in Toronto to explore their genealogical roots. Thanks to one member of my support community, Lynn Palermo, founder of The Family History Writing Studio, I setup a display of my published works at her booth.
I connected with longtime friends, including with Sue Sullivan of Family Ancestrees, who helped transform my manuscripts into printed books, and met many new acquaintances.
I met with many people who want to bring history to life. Seeing the results of my work and diving into some examples of translating facts about real people and social history into novels inspires would-be storytellers.
